Letter: Quit blaming unions for problems

Under a Republican administration, banks were encouraged to make risky loans. When the housing market eventually collapsed, billions in tax revenue owed the state were shifted to counties and local agencies. Everywhere in America people are having to tighten their belts and many are out of work as the economic virus spreads.

Many would have you believe that the economic woes of the state were caused by teachers, firemen, policemen and other public employees who belong to a union. Nothing could be further from the truth. It was unions that brought us out of the dark ages of child labor, 18-hour days, and dangerous working conditions. Yet, as Americans, we embrace those conditions in the form of products made in China.

In 1985 we showed about a $6 million trade deficit with China. Today it is nearly $300 billion a year. Americans in love with cheap products at any cost to humanity would have us disband our unions. Take a good look at Wisconsin. Female teachers are fired for not wearing high heels to work in some districts. Others have been dismissed for a speeding ticket. When one class or group of citizens is treated differently and the majority of the democracy approves of that treatment, it is most clearly tyranny. The same sort of thing happened in Nazi Germany. Perhaps we forgot about that.

Stop blaming unions for your problems. Do yourself a favor, buy American, thank a teacher and God Bless all those who protect us.